We love you Denver. From your local talent to your local beer, you've treated us well and we couldn't be more proud of the city you've become. 2014 was a great year for your humble Ultra team, we were able to travel, meet Usher and cover more shows than ever before. In fact, 2014 brought upon a new record of shows covered for us. Reaching from Austin to Denver, we managed to catch over 250 plus shows. Including music festivals from The UMS, Austin City Limits, Westword Music Showcase, and SXSW, this year saw us cover more ground than ever before. It was a challenge narrowing down some of our best shows (and quite nostalgic...). From secret shows to intimate acoustic shows to rooftop sets, 2014 will go down as the best year we have had a chance to cover music. We asked our staff to name their best! Here are The Best Shows of 2014!

Robert Castro | Managing Editor

1. Portugal.The Man | Larimer Lounge | August 20, 2014

2. Arctic Monkeys | Red Rocks | September 4, 2014

3. Outkast | Fiddler's Green | August 22, 2014

4. St. Vincent | Austin City Limits | October 9, 2014

5. Sylvan Esso | Hi-Dive | August 30, 2014

Matt Smith | Photographer

1. Grouplove and Portugal.The Man | Red Rocks | August 21, 2014

2. Alt-J | The Fillmore | October 28, 2014

3. Bleachers | The Bluebird | November 13, 2014

4. Saves The Day and Say Anything | The Ogden | December 13, 2014

5. Thievery Corporation and Tycho | Red Rocks | June 13, 2014

Maddie Casey | Music Editor

1. Jimmy Eat World “Futures” 10yr tour | The Ogden | October 7, 2014

2. twenty | one | pilots | The Ogden | May 16, 2014

3. Riot Fest: In one weekend we saw The Cure, Weezer’s “Blue Album” front to back, In The Whale Take their pants off on stage, and Wu Tang Clan. Safe to say it was amazing for all. (September 19-21st)

4. Phantogram’s Rooftop Set at SXSW | March 12, 2014

5. Lorde | Firstbank Center | September 28, 2014

Mcclain Morris | Lifestyle Editor

1. Portugal.The Man | Larimer Lounge | August 20, 2014

2. Alt-J | The Fillmore | October 28, 2014

3. Shakey Graves | Illegal Pete's South Broadway | December 13, 2014

4. A. Tom Collins at Westword when A. Tom stole a case of wine and went on a drunken rampage about Denver being the best

5. Glass Animals | Larimer Lounge | September 25, 2014

With so many great albums that came out this year it is always a task at hand trying to chose our favorites. This year was no different, we are fortunate to get to see as many shows as we do, as well as open our inboxes to early releases and exclusives. The great thing about our staff is that we each have our own unique bands that we love, thus making our lists an eclectic mix of great music. There were a few newcomers to the list as well as some established bands making great albums this year. A couple late additions from J. Cole and D'angelo that barely missed the cut stood out as well. Without further adieu, Ultra5280 presents the Best Albums of 2014. These are in no particular order. What were your favorites this year?